Kindersley, SK- Tom Robson (Ladner, BC) was magnificent on the mound as BC shut-out Ontario 4-0 to claim their second straight Gold Medal at the Baseball Canada Cup. Robson dazzled as he threw a complete game 3 hitter, allowing only 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 9 Ontario batters.
Ontario loaded the bases in the top of the 1st inning with 1 out after Grant Tamane (Pickering, ON) doubled, Brandon Collins (Scarborough, ON) reached on a dropped 3rd strike by the catcher and a walk issued to Spencer Marentette (Kingsville, ON). Robson then promptly struck out the next two batters to end the Ontario threat.
Again in the 2nd inning, Ontario had runners on 1st and 2nd with none out only to see Robson strike out the next 3 batters to end the inning.
BC got to Ontario starter Anthony Buonaiuto (Toronto, ON) in the 3rd inning when he unleashed a wild pitch that scored BC’s Jovan Ewusie (Vancouver, BC) from 3rd base. Later in the inning Jerod Bartnik (Surrey, BC) tagged Buonaiuto for a 2 run homer that would spell Buonaiuto from the game.
Robson would set the game into cruise control for the rest of the night as he was perfect from the 3rd inning on.
After getting the first two outs in the top of the 7th, Robson got Daniel Pinero (Toronto, ON) to fly-out to Jordan Varga (Port Coquitlam, BC) in right field to end the game.
Robson was sensational in the tournament picking up 2 wins, in 13 innings pitched and sitting down an impressive 18 batters via the strike out.
In the Bronze Medal game three Alberta pitchers combined on a 1 hitter as they shutout Québec 6-0 to claim 3rd place. Jake Hansen (Fort Macleod, AB) pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up the lone hit, walking 3 and striking out 5 in picking the win. Chad Hodges (Medicine Hat, AB) and Logan Seirfit (Spruce Grove, AB) came on in relief and were both perfect in closing out the victory for Alberta. Cory Scammell (Edmonton, AB) and Jordan Procyshen (Calgary, AB) each collected 2 hits and an RBI to pace Alberta offensively. In the 2nd inning, Alberta jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Scammell scored on a fielder’s choice and Procyshen advanced to home on a passed ball giving Alberta all of the runs they that they would need.
Earlier in the day in the first semi-final, Ontario’s Grant Tamane (Pickering, ON) hit a game winning RBI single in the bottom of the 8th inning to give his team the victory over Alberta. To that point the game was a pitcher’s duel between Alberta’s Ethan Elias (Entwistle, AB) and Ontario’s Michael Foster (Pickering, ON). Elias lasted all the way up until Tamane came to bat in the 8th where his base-hit scored the winning run. Timothy Black (Mount Hope, ON) came on in relief of Foster and was awarded the win.
The second semi-final featured a match-up of two Pool A teams as BC took on Québec who had beaten Saskatchewan 8-2 earlier in the day in the quarter-final game. Dustin Houle (Penticton, BC) had an RBI single in the 1st inning and Jordan Varga (Port Coquitlam, BC) later singled to bring in 2 runs, spotting BC a quick 3-0 lead. That was all BC starting pitcher, Clayton Isherwood (Van Anda, BC) would need as he went the distance, pitching 7 innings and striking out 9 to pitch his team into the Gold Medal game.
Notes: Placement games were also played on the final day of the Baseball Canada Cup. In the 5th place game, New Brunswick topped Saskatchewan 9-4, in the 7th place game Manitoba bested Nova Scotia 6-1 and in the 9th place game Newfoundland shut-out PEI 8-0 in a match-up of two Atlantic teams. ... Three more National Championships get underway this week with the Midget championships in London, Ontario, the Junior championship in Trois-Riviéres, Québec and the Peewee Western championship in Brandon, Manitoba. All three events begin on August 19th.
Final Standings
1.BC-Gold
2.Ontario-Silver
3.Alberta-Bronze
4.Québec
5.New Brunswick
6.Saskatchewan
7.Manitoba
8.Nova Scotia
9.Newfoundland
10.PEI
